Tag Archives: Godly Women

Building Up or Tearing Down??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #75

10 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Building up or Tearing down?, Consider Your ways, Contentment, Controlling the TONGUE!, Conviction, Keepers At Home, Kindness, Kindness has no expiration date., Women of God, Women of Kindness & Godliness

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Building Up Or Tearing Down???A Word from THE WORD!!! #75

This post is not just for ladies, but since I am one, I can speak to us ladies with a voice of love, compassion, and experience.  I pray that this word will go where God sends it, for it is a word that I believe is much needed today, I think especially in Christian circles.

“Every wise woman

buildeth her house:

but the foolish

plucketh it down

with her hands.”  Proverbs 14:1

Those of us who are wives, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and just friends and neighbors, need to remember that our words have the power to build up or tear down!  We have the power to encourage or discourage!  We have the power to speak words of love, kindness, truth, and compassion, or we can blurt out words that hurt to the core of someone’s being, that cause those in our circle (especially those in our own home) to wonder where the real “love of Jesus” went?  I know many who use their words to put down rather than lift up; that speak words that exalt ourselves as we destroy the hopes, joys, dreams, and efforts of those we claim to love.

I remember an example that a Bible teacher gave once–a true account–while teaching classes on being godly women and wives.  An older lady who seemed like she had sour lemons for breakfast made comments about her ‘useless’ husband, and there was no use to put any effort into her relationship, for he would never respond, and she couldn’t think of anything nice to say.  She was encouraged to think of something nice to say to her husband that night before the next class.  Well, she went home feeling like she just couldn’t think of anything nice to say and went in and after a bit of time she went to sit with her husband and told him, “You really do a good job with out taxes”!  Well, not very romantic, you might think to no avail, but the woman returned to class with a broken heart and a more teachable spirit, sharing that her husband broke down and cried, saying that was the nicest thing she had said to him in years.  Needless to say, their marriage got a jump start because one wife was willing to hear and obey God’s voice, humble herself and say ‘something nice’!

Now, some of you are shaking your head, saying, “I’m not that bad!”  But in whose eyes?  Your husband’s?  Your children’s?  Your in-law’s?  Your neighbor’s?  The old adage that we all sang on the playground as children is NOT true–“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”  Words can hurt and can stay with us years and decades longer than any broken bone!  What will you do with your words (and believe me, this hits me in the heart more than any of you reading it, for my tongue has often gotten loose in the wrong direction–no, I don’t curse, but you can be ugly without using one profanity!) today?

I simply want to leave you with a story and a challenge from the famous Proverbs 31 woman.  May we strive to please our Lord with our words and actions toward others, especially our husbands, children, and family.  I think many of us, like the woman in the story above, have become so proud in our own ‘self-righteousness’ that we haven’t heard God’s voice of conviction.  May we truly seek forgiveness, wisdom, and grace to be powerful and kindly women of GOD?

The story is told of a little boy who said mean things about another child and his father overheard his comments.  He asked the boy if he could take his words back, to which the child replied, “sure”.  Well, the father gave him a feather pillow and asked him to scatter the feathers around the town, which he did gladly.  The next day, the father gave the boy the pillow cover and asked him to go and gather the feathers back into the cover, and so he set out to obey.  But as we all know, he came back with only a few of the feathers that came out of the cover.  The boy’s father took the pillow cover and told his son, “so it is with your words”, once you spread mean things around about others, you can’t take them all back, no matter how hard you may try.  Our words fly just like those feathers, into places where we can’t retrieve them.  May we all learn a lesson from the feathers and ask God to set that “guard on my mouth” and think before we share, before we let those ‘put-downs’ make us feel exalted!

“She openeth her mouth

with wisdom;

and in her tongue

is the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well

to the ways of her household,

and eateth not

the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up,

and call her blessed;

her husband also,

and he praiseth her.”  Proverbs 31:26-28

Blessings on your day and week, may Jesus Christ receive praise and honor by our living!  Ladies let’s step up to the plate and bring the glory of JESUS into our homes and circles of influence-whether at the coffee-klatch, the ballgame, our living room, our bedroom, or shopping!  We can make a difference TODAY for good not harm! I love and pray for you all.

Amen and Amen!!!

Please share as you see fit!

God’s Woman??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #650

08 Friday May 2020

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Godly Women, Mothers, Virtuous Women

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #650      God’s Woman???

 

As we approach Mother’s Day here in the United States, celebrations will be a bit different in the present crises, I would like to share scriptures about women who loved, served and trusted God.  Obviously, it can’t be an exhaustive list, due to time and space, but I hope to encourage and challenge us to be more of what God desires us to be!  (Not just what we ‘say’ and ‘do’—for scripture has taught me that if we will take care of the “being” in right relationship with our Lord, HE will lead us in the right “doing” and “saying”)!

“Who can find a virtuous woman?

for her price is far above rubies…

… 30 Favour is deceitful,    

and beauty is vain:

but a woman that feareth the LORD,

she shall be praised.”  Proverbs 31:10 & 30

Virtue: moral excellence; goodness; righteousness… 2…conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness….

God calls us to be women of moral excellence!  That includes our behavior, attitudes, language, attire, and our influence!  Our world needs women of virtue, integrity, and godliness.

“And Deborah,

a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,

she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah

between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim:

and the children of Israel

came up to her for judgment…

… 5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak

the son of Abinoam

on that day, saying,

2 Praise ye the LORD

for the avenging of Israel,

when the people willingly

offered themselves.

3 Hear, O ye kings;

give ear, O ye princes;

I, even I,

will sing unto the LORD;

I will sing praise

to the LORD God of Israel.” Portions of Judges 4:1-5:3

Deborah was a judge of the nation, and a prophetess—one who walked with God and shared wisdom, and direction from God, and she helped lead Israel to a great victory over their oppressors.  Who are we leading?  Are we leading them to victory with Jesus—or down the devil’s sordid path?  It’s your choice; but remember there is a consequence to our choices, and not just for ourselves, but also for those who are following our steps!  I know it’s a hard question, but are we leading our loved ones to Jesus or to hell?  The answer is of eternal import.

And another mother that we have seen in scripture is one of my favorites, Hannah.  Hannah was childless, and constantly provoked by her adversary, but instead of bitterness, she channeled her sorrow into prayer!  I truly believe there is little greater than a praying mother!  Are we busy praying or are we still using manipulation to accomplish our will?

“So Hannah rose up after they had eaten

in Shiloh,

and after they had drunk.

Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post

of the temple of the LORD.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul,

and prayed unto the LORD,

and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said,

O LORD of hosts,

if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction

of thine handmaid,

and remember me,

and not forget thine handmaid,

but wilt give unto thine handmaid

a man child,

then I will give him unto the LORD

all the days of his life,

and there shall no razor

come upon his head…

… 14 And Eli said unto her,

How long wilt thou be drunken?

put away thy wine from thee.

15 And Hannah answered and said,

No, my lord,

I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit:

I have drunk neither wine

nor strong drink,

but have poured out my soul

before the LORD.”   1 Samuel 1:9-15

Are we choosing like Hannah, to pour out our souls to HIM in our sorrow and trials, or are we settling for the comfort of temporal things like liquor, pills, or any other things that we pursue instead of God?  And when God answered her prayers, she honored her vow, and praised God!  What about you and me, what have we thanked God for lately?  What promises have we made and failed to keep?  Food for thought!  Here is Hannah’s response.

“20 Wherefore it came to pass,

when the time was come about

after Hannah had conceived,

that she bare a son,

and called his name Samuel,

saying, Because I have asked

him of the LORD…

… 27 For this child I prayed;

and the LORD hath given me my petition

which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also

I have lent him to the LORD;

as long as he liveth

he shall be lent to the LORD.

And he worshipped the LORD there.”   Portions of 1 Samuel 1 :20-27

I know this is a bit long for my weekday BBs, but there is one other picture of godly womanhood–not only faith but also of good deeds (as my former pastor would say “good, good deeds”—in contrast to good deeds done for the wrong reason)!

“Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple

named Tabitha,

which by interpretation is called Dorcas:

this woman was full of good works

and almsdeeds

which she did.

37 And it came to pass in those days,

that she was sick, and died:

whom when they had washed,

they laid her in an upper chamber.

38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa,

and the disciples had heard that Peter was there,

they sent unto him two men,

desiring him that he would not delay

to come to them.

39 Then Peter arose and went with them.

When he was come,

they brought him into the upper chamber:

and all the widows stood by him weeping,

and shewing the coats and garments

which Dorcas made,

while she was with them.

40 But Peter put them all forth,

and kneeled down,

and prayed;

and turning him to the body said,

Tabitha, arise.

And she opened her eyes:

and when she saw Peter,

she sat up.”   Acts 9:36-40

WOW!  What a testimony! So, I’ll close with a few words of encouragement for accomplishing a godly life—simple, but not necessarily easy; yet doable, if we will but draw near to God!  For when we do, He will draw near to us and use us for HIS glory, our good and the work of ministry to others!

“She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”  Proverbs 31:26

And if I might take a moment of liberty to paraphrase a portion of Psalm 1 for our meditation as women:

“Blessed is the [woman]

that walketh [NOT] in the counsel

of the ungodly,

nor standeth in the way

of sinners,

nor sitteth

in the seat of the scornful.

2 But [her] delight

is in the law of the LORD;

and in [God’s] law

doth [she] meditate day and night.”                                           Blanche’s paraphrase of Psalm 1:1-2

Amen and Amen!